Half-Life
by TouchofPixieDust
Summary: It wasn't a psychotic challenger of Yugi's, or a desperate act from the loss of Atem, nor any one of her friends' many enemies out for revenge that brought Anzu to this place. It was a fatal case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
1. Being in the Wrong Place

Disclaimer: The characters of Yu-Gi-Oh are owned by Kazuki Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Half-Life

Being In the Wrong Place

It wasn't a psychotic challenger of Yugi's, or a desperate act from the loss of Atem, nor any one of her friends' many enemies out for revenge that brought Anzu to this place. It was a fatal case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As usual, she was walking home from dance class. He knew this because he often watched her as she would hum to herself and nearly dance her way home. He wasn't a stalker or anything, he just liked to watch her.

From afar.

Too far, it seemed. For he could not reach her in time to save her when she was hit by a car turning the corner too fast. The drunken boy had been racing his friends when he lost control of the car and hit her, pinning her lithe body between a brick wall and his vehicle.

He would be found. And he _would_ pay. But not right now. Now he was too busy watching the beeps on the monitor.

His call for an ambulance would be useless, he had known that as he had knelt by her broken body. There had been too much blood. He had kissed her and begged her to live, sobs wracking his body. But she was gone. He was too late. He had managed to fumble his way to punch the buttons and make the call anyhow. The gods must be laughing as he got his wish and was holding her close at last, yet only as she was fading from this world to the next.

He was far too late.

The others would hate him for not calling them to let them know that their precious friend would not live to see the end of the day.

They would hate him even more for what he had planned.

Ryo touched his chest, to the spot where the Millennium Ring rested hidden under his shirt and coat. At that moment, Ryo didn't care if the dark creature inside of him was the Thief King Bakura or the dark god Zorc Necrophades or even the Easter Bunny. The spirit was supposed to be gone, expelled, but there had been moments when Ryo felt... something. He had kept his doubts to himself, not wanting to cause unnecessary alarm in his friends.

The plan had been formed while he was riding with Anzu in the ambulance. When he realized that her crushed body could not possibly survive he began praying, then making deals with creatures he had hoped to never see again. As he watched as her gentle heart began to stutter and fail, he knew he had made a decision.

He could not let Anzu go.

"Bakura... I need your help."

It was time to unleash the Thief King once more. This time Ryo would help him with the theft. All they had to do was steal Anzu's soul

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He liked to think of himself as Bakura. He had grown used to the name.

It was a little startling to hear that name, however, being called into the darkness. Calling him forth. Asking for his help. No one ever called him forth with honorable attentions, so it was again startling when he heard the voice of his once host beg for him to save 'her'.

Bakura chuckled darkly, "Praying to the wrong god, kid."

"Don't go, Anzu!"

Anzu? Wasn't that the name of Atem's woman? Annoyingly cheerful twit, untouched by real darkness. Bored with his confinement, he let Ryo's voice find him, and he held on to the connection. He was given a glimpse into the boy's memories. Pictures of Anzu dancing. Pictures of her playing some dancing game at the arcade. Pictures of her smiling and laughing. Pictures of her tucking her hair behind her ear.

The boy had it bad for her.

Then he saw the pictures of her turning to wave to other girls in her dance class. Pictures of her dancing along the sidewalk. Pictures of a car turning too fast. Pictures of her with broken bones and coated in her own blood. Pictures of her lying on a bed surrounded by doctors and nurses, tubes and machines beeping.

The pictures... didn't seem right. His heart was long dead, yet there was something aching in his chest. He hated the Pharaoh for the destruction of his home and his life. He hated Yugi for his connection to the Pharaoh. He hated the girl's devotion to the destroyer. He hated that she could be so trusting, so caring, so happy in such a dark, ugly world. He hated that she was everything he was not, and could never have or be.

Yet... he didn't hate her.

"Nothing I can do for her."

"You can!" hissed Ryo in a tone Bakura could not recall the polite young man ever using. "And you WILL. You must!"

Bakura shook his head, though there was no way his once host could possibly see. "You need something stolen and I'm your man. But in case you don't remember, idiot, I'm not exactly a healer or a miracle worker. I can't save your friend."

"Yes you can."

Babura's eyes widened. Ryo was intentionally opening himself up, letting his light shine on a path back to his consciousness. He was actually offering Bakura his freedom! Then he became suspicious. Why would he be offering something as precious as freedom? Even the limited freedom of still being trapped in someone else's body. At least he could touch the world once more. It was too big of a gift, especially since he had nothing that could help. It wasn't like he had any sort of knowledge that could knit bones back together or fix crushed organs. There was no possible way for the girl to live. There just wasn't.

He heard the long beep that signaled the end of Anzu Mazaki.

"HURRY!"

In the two years since his absence, his host must have grown a backbone. He would have plenty of time to teach him a lesson now that he was on his way back to the living. And now there was no Atem to keep him from doing as he pleased. Though, without the opportunity of revenge, Bakura wasn't entirely sure how to spend his days. It wasn't the demand that had Bakura springing into action, it was the taste of being out in the world once more.

"Save her," whispered Ryo as he drifted into the back of his mind while Bakura stepped forward.

He probably should have taken off right then, but the bustling in the operating room caught his attention. A doctor called for the time. It seemed wrong that the girl would die alone like that. No friends, no family, no one but a bunch of strangers. Well, and Ryo and now Bakura.

"Shadow Games..."

What? Was Ryo serious? Capture her soul and keep her trapped in the Shadow World? Would that not be a worse fate than letting her soul go to its final destination?

The girl... what would she choose?

He found himself saying the words.

The time of death was announced and her pretty head was covered by a white sheet. The greatest tragedy was that the Pharaoh wasn't around to witness this. It would have devastated him. Losing her would have given him some idea of his own loss. But, being the possessor of Anzu's soul... now wouldn't that just make him scream with rage?

Bakura smiled at the thought and whistled merrily as he walked out of the hospital.

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Author's Note:

This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh story, so please try not to roast me over an open fire too badly. Also, this is not an Anzu hating story soooooo even though I killed her (sorry), this is not an anti-Anzu story.


	2. A Dance With Death

Disclaimer: The characters of Yu-Gi-Oh are owned by Kazuki Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

A Dance With Death

Anzu opened her eyes as the spotlight hit her.

Disoriented she blinked and felt a streak of panic as music began to play. She didn't know the steps! She didn't know the tune! Where was she? An audition maybe? Dance class? Wait... wasn't she just in class?

She looked down, and felt her eyes grow round. Those weren't her shoes! Glancing up her legs had her even more confused. It was a dancing outfit, that was for sure, but not one she owned. And not one her school would probably ever permit the students to ever wear. Not even her bathing suit showed so much skin! Anzu hugged her arms around her body and looked around.

Maybe she had been drugged! It was the only thing that made sense...

She squinted and looked around. But there seemed to only be darkness around.

Wait!

There!

In the back there seemed to be the shadow of a man.

"Hello?"

No response.

"Excuse me? Can you tell me where I am?"

Silence.

"How did I get here?"

Flashes of pain caused her to close her eyes and grab her stomach. She dropped to her knees and cried out. But when she opened her eyes she was back in the spotlight and couldn't remember why she was on the floor. Stretching perhaps?

"Hello?" she called out.

Music started to play again, this time it was more familiar. She stood up, dusting off her familiar pink tights and black leotard. Was that right? That wasn't right... Was it? She looked down, and yes, she was in her everyday practice outfit. Her hair pulled back and held in barrettes when she could almost swear it had been swinging in long tiny braids.

She must be tired. She couldn't even remember the last time she had long hair. Short hair was much easier to keep up with.

Easily she fell into step with the music. She let it flow through her as she glided and flew across the stage. There was nothing in the world quite like dancing. Let Yugi and the boys fight and duel... they would never understand the incredible feeling of flying through the air when you dance! Of letting it move your soul.

Anzu's step faltered.

Blood...

Pain...

Glass...

Bones breaking...

Blue silk toe shoes...

Airy white tulle tutus straight out of a Degas painting...

Anzu looked around and the beautifully decorated stage, turning on blue silken toe shoes. A blue silk ribbon caressing her shoulder.

Opening night?

Which ballet? Swan lake? The Nutcracker? Cinderella? Sleeping Beauty? No... the stage wasn't right for any of them. The stage wasn't right for... well... for any ballet. It was... just a stage. No backgrounds at all. Only curtains for a backdrop. Where were the other dancers?

Anzu turned around, classmates waved to her, uncertainly she waved back.

She crumpled to the floor.

"Why do you insist on remembering?"

"What is going on?"

"I give you your dreams, yet you insist on the nightmare."

Anzu looked down at her hands, they were covered in blood. In her head she knew she should be screaming, but she only felt numb. All of her clothes were covered in blood. And she was missing her shoes.

The man in the shadows stooped down, then came towards her. She recognized his shape before he shared her spotlight. Oddly, she felt no fear.

"What do you know of my dreams, Bakura?"

He dropped her shoes in front of her, and she quickly put them on. She didn't take his offered hand, and stood up on her own. Even though he towered over her, it felt better standing than sitting. For some reason, the blood was gone.

"You always wanted to be a dancer. Not just dancing on those stupid games, but a real dancer. On the stage. Bright lights, center stage, the applause, fame." He clapped for her. The sound a little ominous in the echoing room. "The prima donna."

Anzu laughed, surprising herself considering the rather gory state she found herself in moments earlier, "Prima donna is for opera, not ballet."

He shrugged.

Such a normal gesture, even though it was from someone she always considered her enemy, seemed to ground her. Something was clawing at the back of her head, screaming at her. Pictures. Memories. Some real. Some obviously not real. It would appear that she was in the Shadow Realm, a "guest" of Bakura's. But why was he making her a ballerina and uh… other types of dancers? It wasn't like him to try to use those powers of his to make people happy. To… hide something? To quiet the screams?

"And for your information, I don't need the spotlight or the center stage or the fame... I don't need to be the soloist. I would be happy to be part of the corps de ballet." Bakura raised an eyebrow. Anzu rolled her eyes. "The ballet dancers who are NOT the soloists..."

Anzu grinned at his confusion. She bit her lip and considered him for a moment. He hadn't done anything yet. No threats. No mention of Yugi or any of her other friends. He simply… brought her the shoes she had been missing and asked her a few questions.

On impulse, she performed a quick series of moves, pirouettes, jetes, and her favorite...

"Those all have names... what was that?"

"Ciseaux, pas de."

"Did they know you could fly?"

Anzu giggled and grinned at the compliment. "It does feel like flying." Then the en pointe pose she held melted and her toe shoes became her street shoes once more. "Past tense."

The stage lit up. It was the sky. The clouds were so realistic Anzu could swear she could touch them. The floor... oh... wow, ok... so there was no floor anymore, those were clouds. She let out a squeak and grabbed on to Bakura. Enemy schmenemy. Beats falling to her death.

Oh.

Right.

The screams in her head stopped.

Her head dropped to Bakura's shoulder as the memories flooded her. Sobs wracked her body and she held on tight. She cried and screamed until she felt empty. It was only then that she realized that Bakura had been holding on to her.

Her sorrow quickly turned to acute embarrassment. She was glad Yugi and Atem hadn't been there to see THIS!

"Um… ahem… uh… thanks…?"

Slowly she managed to pry her legs off from around his waist, despite his laughter, which, for once, did not sound evil. Then she managed to pry off her fingers and let her feet touch the... clouds.

"Fly."

"Uh..." The wiped at her eyes and cheeks.

"What? You prefer a night sky?"

Slowly the blue sky turned pink, then purple, then a deep indigo. Stars began to twinkle and shine. It was a darkness that was filled with an amazing light.

"Bakura..."

Music began to play. Her favorite to dance to. Her body began to move, and it no longer mattered if her shoes were ballet shoes since she was in the sky. It didn't matter that her enemy was watching her perform. The music was moving within her, and she had the most beautiful stage in the universe.

So she flew.

And when the music ended, she cried again.

"Ryu," she heard Bakura say as she her heart shattered, "I need your help."

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What had he done? He should never have listened to Ryu. He should have let the girl die. It would have been kinder. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve the fate in store for her. He had no reason to torture her like this.

Yugi? Sure, with him he could do this for an eternity. But this girl... he thought his heart was long dead. He never hated Ryu more than he did at this moment. Hatred was much easier to deal with.

How long could a person cry?

What he didn't understand was why he wasn't leaving.

Or why he had gone to such lengths to try to and suppress the memories of her death.

Or why he had manipulated the realm to try and give her everything she had ever dreamed of.

Maybe Ryu had been wrong about her dreams. Well, obviously he WAS wrong. She didn't want to be some big shot star ballerina, the woman just loved dancing! Did _any_of her friends actually know anything about her?

Maybe he did it so that if she DIDN'T remember then she wouldn't be laying there bawling her eyes out looking so miserable and would just be dancing and being happy and out of his way.

_The Shadow Realm is a very big place. You did not have to watch her dance. _

Bakura glared. **Ryu?** Was Ryu spying on him? Was that Ryu's voice... or his own? He rubbed his hand over his face.

"Look... Anzu... it's..." _What? It's okay? She's dead. Doomed to spend eternity in the Shadow World with you because you stole her soul. Pretty sure she isn't going to think that everything is 'okay'._ **Ryu? YOU are the one who BEGGED me to steal her soul! Don't you DARE blame this on ME!**

"You begged him to steal my soul?"

Startled, Bakura spun around to see Anzu sitting up looking confused... and angry.

This was going to be fun!

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Author's Note:

Unlike most of my stories, I haven't plotted this one out all the way to its end. Don't worry, I won't let it wander aimlessly around for eternity.

Thank you for your kind reviews. I do appreciate them.


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